The Nigerian Navy claims to have reached an agreement to set up a naval base in Yauri, Kebbi State’s Yauri Local Government Area.
Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the chief of the naval staff, made the announcement during a courtesy visit to Governor Nasir Idris on Thursday at Government House in Birnin Kebbi.
Rear Admiral Patrick Nwatu, the delegation’s leader, stated during the visit that the visit was a part of the Nigerian Navy’s effort to expand its maritime strategy.
He claimed that this will promote maritime security in the hinterland in addition to its statutory area of responsibility for the maritime domain in the offshore and maritime maritime areas.
The River Niger, in Nwatu’s opinion, has fostered a strong sense of goodwill among Nigerians by supporting agriculture and power generation, which are both still a source of income for the populace.
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Despite its good potentials, the River Niger is being used by some criminal elements to raise the level of insecurity in our nation, he said.
“Because we have observed that the River Niger has become a hub for arms traffic and other threats to our interests,” he said.
The Nigerian Navy felt it was necessary to expand to Kebbi in addition to the base we currently have along the river in Niger so that we can be completely present there.
Nwatu expressed hope that the decision will lead to improved security architecture in the nation, particularly in the Northwest, with the support of the governor and the Kebbi people.
Governor Idris, on his part, referred to the idea as being very good and holistic in light of the security concerns facing the southern region of Kebbi.
He praised God Almighty for his guidance and support, which led to the recording of the bandits’ victories against them as they terrorized the area.
Kebbi is the first naval base we have ever had. We are appreciative of the Chief of the Naval Staff’s decision to establish a naval base in Yauri. The governor said, “You know, the River Niger in Yauri needs to be manned by a lot of security architecture.
We believe we need additional security to maintain the River Niger because we share borders with Niger and the Benin Republic and we also have borders with Lakurawa.
“There aren’t many marine police in the area, and we only have a few.”
The governor made note of the fact that Kebbi shares a border with the two nations and that Benin Republic was once one of the peaceful nations in Africa.
He promised the delegation that the state government would make every effort to make it possible for them to operate.
Source: Channels TV
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